Posted 3w ago

Technical Program Manager

@ Waste Management
Houston, Texas, United States
HybridFull Time
Responsibilities:Own backlog, Collaborate with stakeholders, Drive AI integration
Requirements Summary:7+ years in Product Owner/Manager roles; Bachelor's degree in CS/IS/Engineering/Business; Master’s preferred; experience with vendor risk or CLM solutions; strong AI/ML, APIs, cloud, and Agile/Scrum skills.
Technical Tools Mentioned:APIs, Cloud platforms, AI/ML frameworks, Data modeling
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Job Description

As an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

I.  Job Summary

The Technical Program Manager plays a crucial role at the intersection of business strategy, technology, and product innovation within the organization. This individual will take ownership of two mission-critical platforms: an AI-driven vendor risk solution and an AI-driven integrated contract lifecycle management (CLM) tool. The ideal candidate is passionate about artificial intelligence and its transformative potential for governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) as well as contract operations. They should bring a blend of technical acumen, product sensibility, business understanding, and stakeholder management skills.

II. Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following.  

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  Other minor duties may be assigned. 

A. Product Vision & Strategy:

  • Define and articulate the vision for both the AI-driven vendor risk solution and the AI-driven CLM tool in alignment with organizational goals and industry best practices.
  • Develop and maintain product roadmaps that prioritize features, enhancements, and technical debt reduction.
  • Champion AI capabilities that drive automation, predictive risk analysis, smart contract authoring, and analytics.

B. Stakeholder Engagement:

  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams including engineering, data science, legal, compliance, procurement, and vendor management.
  • Gather and analyze feedback from internal stakeholders, external clients, and market research to inform product direction.
  • Communicate product vision, strategy, and release timelines effectively across all levels of the organization.

C. Backlog Management:

  • Own and prioritize product backlogs for both platforms, ensuring that user stories and technical requirements are clearly documented, actionable, and aligned with business goals.
  • Work closely with Agile teams to refine backlogs, define acceptance criteria, and balance the need for speed with quality and regulatory compliance.
  • Facilitate sprint planning, stand-ups, reviews, and retrospectives as needed.

D. AI Integration & Enablement:

  • Drive the integration and optimization of AI capabilities within both the vendor risk and CLM solutions, ensuring scalability, security, and ethical use of AI.
  • Evaluate and select appropriate AI models and frameworks in partnership with data scientists and engineers.
  • Monitor AI performance and recommend improvements to continuously elevate solution value.

E. Vendor Risk Solution Management:

  • Oversee the end-to-end lifecycle of the AI-driven vendor risk platform—from requirements gathering, design, and development to deployment and ongoing improvement.
  • Ensure the solution proactively identifies, assesses, and mitigates third-party risks leveraging AI-powered automation and analytics.
  • Establish metrics and KPIs for risk detection accuracy, response time, and regulatory compliance.
  • Stay abreast of evolving vendor risk management industry trends and regulations.

F. Contract Lifecycle Management Tool Oversight:

  • Actively manage the AI-driven CLM tool, ensuring seamless integration with other enterprise systems (ERP, CRM, legal databases, etc.).
  • Drive development of features such as automated contract drafting, clause recognition, smart approvals, and AI-based risk scoring.
  • Continuously improves user experience for legal, procurement, and business teams.
  • Track metrics for contract cycle time, compliance rates, and user adoption.

G. Compliance, Security & Data Privacy:

  • Ensure both solutions meet relevant regulatory requirements (GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, PCI DSS, etc.) and internal governance standards.
  • Work with Information Security teams to embed robust security controls in product design, especially for sensitive contract and vendor data.
  • Proactively address ethical AI considerations and data privacy concerns in all product decisions.
  • H. Continuous Improvement & Innovation:
  • Champion a culture of experimentation, feedback, and rapid iteration for both platforms.
  • Monitor product analytics to identify areas for enhancement or innovation.
  • Explore emerging technologies (such as Generative AI, Natural Language Processing, Blockchain) that can augment solution capabilities.

I. Reporting & Controls Responsibilities:

  • Establish and own clear reporting frameworks to monitor key performance indicators, compliance objectives, and operational metrics across both legal and procurement platforms.
  • Collaborate with Business Intelligence Team to develop dashboards and executive reports that provide actionable insights into system usage, contract lifecycle management, and risk exposure.
  • Establish regular reporting cadence to inform supply chain, risk management, and shared services leadership on program progress, compliance, and efficiency.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement effective internal controls that safeguard sensitive data, ensure process integrity, and support audit readiness.
  • Continuously review and enhance control mechanisms to respond to evolving regulatory environments and technology standards.
  • Facilitate transparent communication regarding control performance and incident management, driving accountability and rapid resolution of any identified gaps or breaches.

III. Supervisory Responsibilities

No formal supervisory responsibilities in this position.

IV. Qualifications

The requirements listed below are representative of the qualifications necessary to perform the job.

A.  Education and Experience

Required:

Bachelor’s Degree (accredited) in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Business Administration, or related field.  Master’s Degree preferred.

  • 7 years of experience as a Product Owner, Product Manager, or similar role with direct accountability for technical product delivery.

Preferred:

  • Experience with vendor risk management and/or contract lifecycle management solutions.
  • Practical exposure to SaaS product development and cloud-based deployments.
  • Knowledge of the ethical considerations and limitations of AI in enterprise environments.
  • Ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear business requirements.
  • Innovative mindset with keen curiosity for industry trends and emerging technologies.
  • Adaptability to thrive in a fast-paced, cross-disciplinary environment.

B. Certificates, Licenses, Registrations or Other Requirements

  • None required.

C. Other Knowledge, Skills or Abilities Required

  • Hands-on experience with AI or machine learning projects, ideally in risk management or contract management domains.
  • Strong technical acumen including understanding of APIs, data modeling, cloud platforms, and AI/ML frameworks.
  • Proven track record managing products in an Agile/Scrum environment.
  • Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
  • Familiarity with regulatory requirements affecting data security and privacy.
  • Ability to balance strategic thinking with tactical execution.
  • Expert communication skills throughout an organization

V.  Work Environment

  • Listed below are key points regarding environmental demands and work environment for the job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.
  • Required to use motor coordination with finger dexterity (such as keyboarding, machine operation, etc) most of the workday.
  • Required to exert physical effort in handling objects less than 30 pounds rarely;
  • Required to be exposed to physical occupational risks (such as cuts, burns, exposure to toxic chemicals, etc.) occasionally.
  • Required to be exposed to physical environment which involves dirt, odors, noise, weather extremes or similar elements occasionally.
  • Normal setting for this job is: office setting.

 

Benefits

At WM, each eligible employee receives a competitive total compensation package including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance and Short-Term Disability.  As well as a Stock Purchase Plan, Company match on Pension, and more!  Our employees also receive Paid Vacation, Holidays, and Personal Days.  Please note that benefits may vary by site.

If this sounds like the opportunity that you have been looking for, please click "Apply.”

 

Company

ABOUT WM

WM (WM.com) is North America's leading provider of comprehensive environmental solutions. Previously known as Waste Management and based in Houston, Texas, WM is driven by commitments to put people first and achieve success with integrity. The company, through its subsidiaries, provides collection, recycling and disposal services to millions of residential, commercial, industrial, medical and municipal customers throughout the U.S. and Canada. With innovative infrastructure and capabilities in recycling, organics and renewable energy, WM provides environmental solutions to and collaborates with its customers in helping them pursue their sustainability goals. WM has the largest disposal network and collection fleet in North America, is the largest recycler of post‑consumer materials and is a leader in beneficial use of landfill gas, with a growing network of renewable natural gas plants and the most landfill gas‑to‑electricity plants in North America. WM’s fleet includes more than 12,000 natural gas trucks – the largest heavy‑duty natural gas truck fleet in the industry in North America. Healthcare Solutions provides collection and disposal services of regulated medical waste, as well as secure information destruction services, in the U.S., Canada and Western Europe. To learn more about WM and the company’s sustainability progress and solutions, visit Sustainability.WM.com.

Equal Employment Opportunity

For United States:  WM is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, status as a protected veteran or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

For Canada:  WM is committed to the principle of equal employment for all applicants and employees, without discrimination on the basis of all grounds protected by applicable human rights legislation. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. Please notify us if you require accommodation.

Real ID

In order to travel by air or access federal property, federal law requires individuals have a REAL ID or an acceptable alternative. This position may require the successful candidate to travel by air for business reasons or service federal property. Accordingly, successful candidates must have, or be willing to obtain, a REAL ID or TSA‑approved alternative.